Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Swaziland instead of Iraq, you would:

Health

be 45.7% less likely to be obese

In Iraq, 30.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Swaziland, that number is 16.5% of people as of 2016.

live 13.5 years less

In Iraq, the average life expectancy is 73 years (71 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2022. In Swaziland, that number is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 47.8% more likely to be unemployed

In Iraq, 15.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Swaziland, that number is 22.6% as of 2022.

be 2.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iraq, 23.0% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Swaziland, however, that number is 58.9% as of 2016.

pay a 2.2 times higher top tax rate

Iraq has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2016. In Swaziland, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 76.4% more likely to be literate

In Iraq, the literacy rate is 50.1% as of 2018. In Swaziland, it is 88.4% as of 2018.

be 5.8 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Iraq, approximately 76.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Swaziland, 437.0 women do as of 2017.

be 2.0 times more likely to die during infancy

In Iraq, approximately 19.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Swaziland, on the other hand, 39.6 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 20.4% more likely to have internet access

In Iraq, approximately 49.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Swaziland, about 59.0% do as of 2021.

be 17.1% less likely to have access to electricity

In Iraq, approximately 100% of the population has electricity access as of 2021. In Swaziland, 83% of the population do as of 2021.

be 19.1% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Iraq, approximately 99% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 80% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 27.5% more on healthcare

Iraq spends 5.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Swaziland Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance.

Swaziland: At a glance

Swaziland is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 17,204 sq km. Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured King MSWATI III, Africa's last absolute monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. A constitution came into effect in 2006, but the legal status of political parties remains unclear. The African United Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully to register as an official political party in mid 2006. Talks over the constitution broke down between the government and progressive groups in 2007. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.
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How big is Swaziland compared to Iraq? See an in-depth size comparison.

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